White collar defense attorneys are regularly confronted by new clients who seek representation where the client has told some version of his or her story to law enforcement agents before ever meeting with counsel. While Miranda warnings, aimed at providing prophylactic cautions to individuals, are ubiquitously disseminated throughout our society, in practice people generally relay an entire story to law enforcement officials without preparation, without prior consultation with counsel, and without being accompanied by a lawyer to protect their interests. Of course, where an individual is not subject to custodial interrogation, there is no obligation for law enforcement agents even to provide Miranda warnings.

If you are a public company, or audit one, three recent SEC auditor independence cases deserve your attention. Auditor independence cases typically arise from financial, employment or business ties between an auditor and a client or their personnel. The recent cases, however, arose from what the SEC called "inappropriate close personal relationships."

Steve Feldman and Alexandra Marinzel author FCPA article for Grassi & Co. - For any company doing business internationally, knowledge of the United States’ Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (“FCPA”) is a must. Running afoul of this federal law can come with serious consequences, both for individuals and for the company. Last year, ten companies paid over $1.5 billion to resolve FCPA actions with the Department of Justice (“DOJ”) and the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). In addition to financial penalties, FCPA enforcement actions can also result in criminal charges, including charges against individual company employees and management. FCPA enforcement has been a top government priority for a number of years and there is no indication that enforcement will slow down anytime soon. To avoid finding you or your company in such a predicament, it is important to be aware of potential FCPA issues and to take action should any issues arise. To help you be prepared, this article will explain what the FCPA law is, what it prohibits and requires, identify situations in which FCPA risks and concerns may arise, and explain what to do should your company have concerns. The goal is to help you identify risky situations that raise FCPA concerns so you can proactively deal with the issues.

Mr. Feldman contributes to International Scientific and Professional Advisory Council of the United Nations Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Program with "Efforts by Prosecutors and Private Counsels to Recover Cultural Property in the United States." Cases addressing art and cultural object recovery often implicate a variety of complex legal issues which practitioners must be prepared to recognize and address. It has been said that art and cultural property crime is a multibillion-dollar illegal enterprise. One of the largest markets for illicitly obtained art is the United States.

Steven Feldman contributed a chapter to this stand alone book. Inside the Minds: Managing White Collar Legal Issues provides readers with proven business and legal intelligence from leading C-Level executives and lawyers. Each chapter offers thought leadership and expert analysis on an industry, profession, or topic, providing a future-oriented perspective and proven strategies for success. Each author has been selected based on their experience and C-Level standing within the business and legal communities.